


The Ghost of Christmas Past

by OtterlyDeerlightful



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff and Angst, Helpful JARVIS, M/M, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, supportive Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:14:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28305894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtterlyDeerlightful/pseuds/OtterlyDeerlightful
Summary: Tony is suspiciously absent in the days leading up to Christmas and Loki is concerned.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	The Ghost of Christmas Past

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies is this isn't as developed as it should be or if there's a ton of oopsies--I wrote this super last minute XD

He had lived on Midgard for some time now, serving his sentence of a few hundred thousand hours of community service. Loki and Thor alike had been surprised to see what had become of the Yuletide season in recent centuries, but were pleasantly surprised to find many of the familiar traditions still persisted on Midgard...if with some obvious alterations. Loki was especially delighted to see that the image of Odin had morphed to that of an overweight dolt who attracted small sticky children like a bright red magnet. The entire season seemed to be one of joy and loud festivities, and yet...Tony was nowhere to be found.

It seemed paradoxical as far as Loki could tell. Anthony Edward Stark loved parties. Not the stuffy, formal galas often required by his work, but true jovial parties. Ones with music, friends, good food and drink, and a bit of mischievous fun. 

It had been Captain Steve Rogers’ birthday party that had brought the two of them together, after all. Tony had pulled silly pranks on the poor man all day and had been absolutely delighted when Loki decided to join his fun. Rogers hadn’t seemed to care for their new alliance, and neither did the rest of the team when their tricks and mischief lasted long after the party was over. Loki and Stark began spending more time together over the following weeks, their conversations expanding past playful pranks and into Stark’s work, Loki’s seiðr, and...eventually...Stark’s luxurious bed.

They had been together for about half a year now. While Stark--now Tony--showed no sign that anything was unusual about the pace of their relationship, Loki couldn’t help but marvel at how fast he had fallen for the mortal. Six months was but the blink of an eye for a god, after all, yet Loki couldn’t help but be drawn in by the other man’s brilliance and charm. Tony Stark was unique, and Loki was completely smitten. He already loved the mortal more deeply than he had anyone before, and the trickster was certain that he would stay by Tony’s side as long as the man wished to have him there.

Tony had made sure that Loki was invited to the Thanksgiving feast put on by one of the other Avengers, though Loki wasn’t sure which one. It was no secret that much of the team still mistrusted Loki, but his mortal had insisted he be included in the celebration. It had been surprisingly pleasant and, to his surprise, Loki did not regret attending. It was shortly after the gluttonous holiday, though, that the god noticed that something was wrong.

His Tony withdrew, more each day it seemed, even disappearing completely for two days in the middle of the month. He spoke with the god only sparingly, and almost seemed to be purposefully avoiding not only Loki, but his colleagues as well. Loki was suspicious that Tony’s acute change in behavior had something to do with the Yuletide festivities that descended upon New York the moment Thanksgiving ended, but he couldn’t get the damned mortal to speak with him long enough to get an answer from him.

“Oh, sorry, Loki, Tony’s not in right now,” Dr. Banner said softly after the god entered the shared lab space once again.

Loki suppressed a sigh as he surveyed the room anyway. “Do you know where he is? He has not answered his phone in two days.” He didn’t dare admit his worry aloud. Loki had resisted teleporting into Tony’s chambers and invading the man’s privacy, but he was sorely tempted at this point.

“Oh, um…” Bruce set down the tablet he had been using to give the god his full attention. “Yeah, Tony doesn’t really _like_ Christmas very much.”

Loki raised a brow. “Why not?”

The scientist looked vaguely uncomfortable, shifting where he stood. “I don’t think it’s really my place to say,” he admitted. “He just doesn’t like it.”

“I see. Well, thank you for your time, Doctor.” 

Loki left the laboratory with renewed, determined worry. Something was wrong with his Tony, and it seemed that even his close friends knew it. Yet, they did nothing. Yule--or, Christmas--seemed to be everything that Tony would love in a holiday: merriment, pop culture nostalgia, food and drink, ostentatious decorations and endless music...Loki just didn’t understand. But the look in Dr. Banner’s eyes had convinced him: Tony was somehow in need, and Loki’s embargo on invading the mortal’s privacy was ended.

“JARVIS?”

“ _Yes, Mr. Liesmith_.”

“Is Tony in the penthouse?”

There was the briefest of pauses before the AI answered. “ _I am not permitted to confirm Sir’s location while within the tower at this time_.”

Loki smiled at the AI’s deliberate choice of words.

“Thank you, JARVIS.”

“ _Of course, Mr. Liesmith. And, if I may, I would like to thank you for asking_.”

“Of course.”

The god nodded and promptly disappeared from the common room. He soon materialized in the living room of Tony’s silent penthouse. After a quick look around the room, Loki caught sight of a small blinking red light near the ceiling at the opening to a hallway. He offered JARVIS a nod of thanks and acknowledgement and headed toward Tony’s seldom used office down that particular hallway.

He knocked gently on the partially opened door with a soft “Tony?”

Inside, Loki heard the sound of something toppling over and a sharp curse in a familiar voice. Loki eased the door open. Tony was scrambling to mop up the scotch that had spilled from his tipped glass and spread all across the desk he had been sitting at. The mage sighed and, flicking his wrist, evaporated the spill.

“Tony.”

The man looked up at him. Tony’s eyes were red with dark circles laying underneath. His usually manicured goatee was unkempt, as was his hair, and wild stubble decorated his jaw and throat. In short, the Iron Man was a mess and a shadow of his usual self.

“What are you doing here?” Tony asked hoarsely.

“I came to ask you that very question.”

Tony frowned and turned away, reclaiming his seat. “Is the world ending?”

Loki still stood in the doorway. “No.”

“Okay...good.” There was a moment of silence before Tony continued. “That’s good. Then you don’t need me.”

“Tony, what is wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I don’t need to be the god of lies to spot that one, Stark. You have hidden yourself away for _weeks_ with no explanation, and now I find you drinking yourself into a stupor alone in your self-imposed exile.”

“I just want to be alone, Lokes.”

“Clearly.”

“So why are you here?” Tony snapped.

Loki swallowed, mildly frightened for the man’s wellbeing given the slight slur in his words. “I was...concerned...that I had not seen you.”

“Well, you’ve seen me now, so...yeah.” Tony reached for the nearby bottle again.

The god stepped inside, closing the study door behind him. Loki crossed the room and calmly plucked the bottle out of Tony’s grasp and stashed it safely in his pocket dimension.

“ _Hey_! Give that ba--!”

“ _Tony_. Stop.” Loki pushed Tony back down into his seat. The god sighed and, his hand still on the mortal’s arm, slid down to one knee to look the other in the eye. “Tony...please.”

The man sniffed and glanced to the lamp on the other side of his desk, but didn’t pull away. Loki waited patiently.

“I don’t like Christmastime,” Tony finally admitted. 

“I assumed as much. I am more concerned with how you are coping with it.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“I respectfully disagree,” Loki replied with a sharp look. “Tony. _Anthony_ …”

“I used to like Christmas,” Tony mumbled, still not looking at Loki as he spoke. “Was my favorite holiday. Dad wasn’t always around, but...mom was. And Jarvis. The real one, I mean. We’d do cookies and the tree and lights and the whole sh-bang. Like one of those classic Christmases you see in the movies or something. It was great...even after the whole Santa thing.

“I mean, we were rich, so...it wasn’t like the presents were anything special compared to the rest of the year. I just liked _being together_ . Like a real family.” Tony sighed heavily. “M-my mom and dad, they died r-right before Christmas, you know. I wasn’t even out of college yet.” Tony covered his eyes with one hand, rubbing his brow. “Jesus, I was still a _kid_. That was, uh...let’s just say it was a shitty Christmas that year.”

Loki gave the man’s arm a gentle squeeze of sympathy, though Tony didn’t outwardly react to the offer. 

“This time of year just...brings up old memories, you know?”

“I understand,” Loki said quietly. “But...locking yourself away here with those memories clearly isn’t doing you any good, Tony.”

“I can’t just go all holly jolly and put on a happy face for the people, Lokes. I have to be the company’s dancing monkey in a suit every other day of the year...I just need some time to myself, okay?”

“I am not asking you to do any of that, my dear.”

Tony finally looked at him with a mild frown.

“While I cannot...take away the pain this time of year might bring you,” Loki said slowly, “Might I ask that you at least allow me to share the burden with you?”

Tony stared at him.

“Lokes...Loki, you don’t have to spend your Christmas--”

“I can and _will_ spend my time however I like, Anthony.” Loki dared to offer the mortal a soft smile from where he still crouched at Tony’s feet. “Now, as _comfortable_ as this position is, I think I would rather move this conversation to your couch if you don’t mind?”

Tony silently accepted the god’s request, nodding with another sniffle. The two men got to their feet and made their way to the living room without a word. Loki sat down only once Tony himself had claimed a cushion, and instinctually sought out the avenger’s hand.

“JARVIS,” he requested softly, “Please find us some suitable entertainment.”

“ _Of course, Mr. Liesmith_.”

The television came to life, its volume low and subject matter markedly unseasonal. Neither of the men were really watching, but it did not matter. What _did_ matter was that Tony was no longer sitting up in his penthouse in the dark. Better, Tony edged closer to his side, seemingly instinctual. Loki was not sure how long they stayed together on the couch before he heard Tony clear his throat beside him. 

“Hey...Lokes?”

The god dared to look over at the avenger to find Tony’s pair of beautiful brown eyes gazing at him. “Yes?”

“Thanks.”

“I haven’t done--”

“No,” Tony interrupted. “I mean it. I…” He sighed. “I think this is the first Christmas Eve where it wasn’t just...me and JARVIS in...I don’t know how long.”

“I hope that is a good thing,” Loki said with a soft, supportive smile as he attempted to relax the grieving man.

Tony squeezed his hand. “Yeah, yeah...it’s a good thing. Thanks, Lokes. It’s...nice to be able to have a _good_ Christmas memory to hold onto since before I was even legal.”

“Perhaps you simply need to build a new collection of good memories to outweigh the bad,” Loki suggested softly. 

“Yeah...maybe you’re right. But...this is enough for now, okay?”

“Of course.”

The pair sat quietly on the couch, staring at the television. At some point Loki made a trip to the kitchen to assemble a platter of sandwiches and small assorted snacks to last them the remainder of the evening. The two even shared some mild conversation once Tony had some food in his stomach. The mortal was all but passed out against Loki’s side by the time midnight finally approached. The god held Tony’s shoulder under a gentle arm and a light heart. A small chime echoed in from down the hallway.

“...Merry Christmas, Loki,” the man mumbled softly into his shirt.

Loki gave him a gentle squeeze and planted a gentle kiss on his love’s temple. “Merry Christmas, Tony.”


End file.
